laser-cut folding ukulele by brian chan

massachusetts-based 'maker of anything' brian chan is typically known for his complex origami work.
now he has taken his fascination with the traditional japanese art of paper folding,
drawing on its technical characteristics to create the laser-cut folding ukelele. the 3D object consists
of multiple flat pieces that need to fit together precisely to create the functional musical instrument.

'I enjoy learning musical instruments but often must travel. the need to travel light clashes with my desire
to bring instruments along to practice. inspired by sci-fi anime, I began designing instruments that can transform
into a much smaller form for portability. one of the great things about stringed musical instruments is that they are
composed mainly of empty space, theoretically allowing for a high compression ratio. I should stress right now that this was
not intended as a concert instrument, but more as an instrument for road trips and emergency music-making.
the tone is sweet but about half as loud as a similar soprano ukulele, due to the material. for my first production model,
I decided to design a folding ukulele, for several reasons. first, the ukulele is the kind of instrument you would bring
almost everywhere. secondly, because the ukulele has only four strings at low tension, it is less likely to bend too much
and easier to string (its compact folded form needs to be unstrung, this results in the smallest package;
restringing and retuning takes just a few minutes). I also feel that a newfangled folding instrument will be less likely
to invoke the disapproval of strict traditionalists, which is always just plain silly. unlike my previous folding
and non-folding instruments, I designed this one to be cut almost 99% out of laser-cut bamboo plywood so that it
could be made into a production item rather than a one-off. this necessitated a polygonal design; to further simplify
the design and construction, I use only right-angle and 120 degree joints. these simplifications led to a form based on the hexagon,
which is one the most beautiful of the polygons. I wanted to be economical so I had to be creative in certain parts, for example,
instead of using fretwire, the frets are formed from staggered 'steps' set at an angle. like many first projects,
I expect this instrument to evolve and give rise to other, perhaps more foldable instruments. ' - brian chan

the kit is available for purchase online at: http://ponoko.com/showroom/chosetec

chan has also designed smaller box version also constructed from laser-cut bamboo.
the soprano size instrument folds into a box that measures 9" x 3.5" x 2".

inside look at the box-version of the ukelele whereby the neck folds into the body

designboom has received this project from our 'DIY submissions' feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication.